The Mühle was loaded with a Voshkod blade (2nd use). I used a Yaqi Atlantis and Proraso Azur Lime Pre-Shave Cream and shave cream.
I have never before done a three pass shave as my skin doesn't agree with that treatment.
The shave was very uncomfortable. No nicks or weepers but it felt more like scraping than shaving. It felt like every hair was screaming in pain.
Why, oh why? The result of the shave was as good as I normally achieve.
Was the Proraso not performing? (I'm not a habitual bowl-latherer but the lather was as yoghurty as one can expect) Was the Voshkod a dud? (It didn't give me a comfortable shave the first time and it didn't now). I was so curious that for the very first time I went for a third pass, but this time with my trusted Nickel Fatip Classic Originale and a –my favourite– Willy's blade that I used for some 5 previous shaves. It gave me the comfortable smooth shave I've become used to. Now of course, after two prior passes, there's hardly any stubble left. So of course it is smoother, no?
So today I decided to do the 'ultimate' test. Not ultimate as in 'the most profound test ever performed in human history' but ultimate as in 'the last chance for redemption of the Mühle RS41G'. You know it's a bloody expensive tool, so you almost feel forced to like it if you know what I mean.
I normally shave every second day or so but this challenge couldn't wait and there was just enough stubble to go ahead...
I face-lathered using the same Yaqi Atlantis but used Proraso White Soap this time. I'm quite fond of this soap, especially the scent.
I transferred the Willy's blade (5th use?) from my Fatip Originale to the Mühle and shaved the left side of my face. Then I moved the same blade back to the Fatip for the right side of the same face. Only one pass, not for the result but to experience the comfort of the shave.
Result: the Mühle behaved as harsh as the day before. I tried to change the angle slightly steeper and slightly shallower, but to no avail (just to get finger memory out of the equation). The Fatip performed as usual.
So my conclusion: While both razors give me a virtually identical shave result, the US$23.05 Fatip outperformed the US$164.86 Mühle R41GS in comfort.
One of them goes on early retirement...
P.S. I just took the opportunity to look at both razors with a 5x head magnifier. What is obvious to me is that the top cap of the Fatip pushes the blade to follow the curvature of the bottom plate much more than is the case with the Mühle, resulting in a much more pronounce blade gap for the Mühle. The Fatip's bottom plate also has more curvature than the Mühle. I suppose this means the Fatip should be used at a steeper angle than the Mühle (handle more horizontal) to achive a similar angle of attack for the blade? Well, I tried to tilt the Mühle slightly steeper than riding the cap and it still wasn't comfortable...
I also compared the Mühle R41GS to the standard R41. A visual comparison without meauring doesn't reveal any differences between the two except maybe for the slightly more defined edges of the stainless vs. the zamak. I can't believe that would make a difference? The (lighter & shorter) standard R41 never gave me as harsh a shave as the stainless version...